History - Lower Murray-Darling

Environmental watering in the Lower Murray-Darling Catchment in previous years

Please note the summaries for pre 2014-15 are totals for the whole Murray Catchment, with the environmental watering that has occurred in the Lower Murray-Darling linked to an explanation below.

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2021-22

Environmental watering in the Lower Murray-Darling catchment in 2021-22
Watering action	Status of Commonwealth action
River Murray flows	Completed
Lower Murray and end of system flows	Completed
Lower Darling/Baaka flows	Completed
Great Darling Anabranch	Completed
Hattah Lakes	Complete
NSW Lower Murray wetlands	Completed
Weir Pool Manipulation and SA Floodplains	Completed
South Australian Wetlands	Completed

River Murray flows

Status: Complete

About the watering

Commonwealth environmental water were delivered to provide benefits along the length of the River Murray in 2021-22, contributing to flows and targeting outcomes from Hume Dam through to the Coorong.

Commonwealth environmental water deliveries were pooled with water available to other environmental water holders for use in winter and spring. Over 200 GL of water for the environment was delivered from Hume Dam, with some directed into the wetland and floodplain sites along the river and the rest flowing the full length of the Murray through to the Lower Lakes and Coorong. The key objectives were to:

Support native fish and provide the conditions they depend on every year to feed and breed.
Connect the River Murray with its anabranches and creeks, to support aquatic plants, enable fish movement and provide food resources for aquatic animals.
Maintain core wetlands that are important for waterbirds.

For more information visit: Murray Wetland Flow 2021.

Lower Murray and end of system flows

Status: Complete

About the watering

In addition to the return flows from actions in the Murray upstream, about 18 GL of water was delivered from Lake Victoria in November to December to support a major golden perch spawning event. The Commonwealth’s held South Australian allocation of 162 GL was delivered in full, with about 11.5 GL used in South Australian Wetlands (see section below for details) and the remainder delivered to the Coorong and Lower Lakes.

Monitoring and observations through the year demonstrated great environmental responses to the increased flows, including from birds, vegetation and fish. Highlights include large-scale golden perch recruitment in the River Murray, a major black bream recruitment event in the Coorong, strong growth and reproduction of Ruppia tuberosa, increased and expanding benthic invertebrate populations in the Coorong, strong recruitment of threatened Southern pygmy perch and very high numbers of black swans nesting in the Lower Lakes.

Lower Darling/Baaka flows

Status: Complete

Through the first half of 2021, flows from the north resulted in significant inflows to the Menindee Lakes, including to the bottom lakes (Menindee and Cawndilla). Further saw Menindee Lakes fill to capacity and spill during spring 2021 and into 2022.

Operational ‘spill’ releases accounted for the majority of flows to the lower Darling/Baaka and Great Darling Anabranch during 2021-22, with water for the environment used between periods of spill to fill gap and continue to provide environmental benefit.

In winter-spring 2021, environmental flows (13,286 ML of Commonwealth environmental water and 45,430 ML of The Living Murray) provided additional food resources and habitat for growing young fish and increased baseflows for Murray cod breeding in the lower Darling/Baaka.
Further flows from the north over late spring, summer and autumn saw overbank flows to the lower Darling/Baaka. Operational ‘spill’ releases of over 23,000ML/d at Weir 32 over late autumn and winter inundated more than 65% of the low-lying floodplain and wetlands associated with the lower Darling/Baaka and Great Darling Anabranch and achieved lateral connectivity between the two.

At a local scale, the 2021-22 flows built upon water delivery in the previous year to continue the recovery of native fish populations. The flows have now supported consecutive years of spawning and recruitment of Murray cod.

At a Basin scale, environmental flows built on natural events along the length of the Barwon-Darling system. The high flows continued to disperse new cohorts of golden perch downstream from the north. An olive perchlet was detected for the first time at Menindee Lakes in April 2022, likely washed down from an upstream tributary. Golden perch that had spawned in the upper reaches of the catchment early in 2020 and 2021 and moved downstream to Menindee Lakes, were able to continue their journey into the lower Darling/Baaka and potentially on to the Murray, supported by flow, increased habitat and greater food availability. Fish monitoring (i.e., tagging and tracking) is currently underway to confirm the dispersal of the fish to the River Murray to continue their lifecycle.

Environmental watering in 2021-22 was informed by previous monitoring results as well as monitoring undertaken during 2021-22. The 2021-22 monitoring results will be published once finalised.

For more information and updates that were during the event see: 2021 Lower Darling-Baaka and Great Darling Anabranch spring fish flow.

Great Darling Anabranch

Status: This action is complete

About the watering

Recent inflows to the Menindee Lakes (described above) provided significant flows into Lake Cawndilla. This has provided an opportunity to give a much-needed drink to the Great Darling Anabranch, which had been dry since 2016-17.

The Great Darling Anabranch flow commenced in September 2021. Water for the environment (35,118 ML of Commonwealth and 4,550 ML of New South Wales environmental water) filled gaps between operational ‘spills’ from the lakes to continue the connection along the Great Darling Anabranch and connect Lake Cawndilla to the River Murray.

This event created a ‘Golden Highway’ for juvenile golden perch and other native fish in Lake Cawndilla to move down the Anabranch and disperse throughout the Murray valley. The flow also provided benefits for plants along the Anabranch and created additional feeding grounds for ducks and other waterbirds.

Monitoring of native fish movement is underway and the results will be published once finalised.

For more information and updates that were during the event see: 2021 Lower Darling-Baaka and Great Darling Anabranch spring fish flow.

Hattah Lakes

Status: This action is complete

About the watering

Water for the environment was delivered to Hattah Lakes in spring 2021. Following the 2016 natural flooding event, the majority of the Ramsar-listed Hattah-Kulkyne Lakes complex had a drying phase.

Delivery of water for the environment in April-May 2021 inundated 13 of the 18 lakes in the complex, to allow wetland plants and animals time to establish prior to the larger planned delivery in spring 2021. The spring water delivery took advantage of high natural flows in the River Murray to build on the autumn flows to fill most of the lakes to promote river red gum and aquatic vegetation growth and condition, support waterbird and small-bodied native fish breeding and provide nutrients and other floodplain material back into the River Murray channel to boost food-webs in the river.

Commonwealth environmental water was not required for this watering action, as unregulated entitlements held by The Living Murray and Victorian Environmental Water Holder were able to be used opportunistically in conjunction with the high River Murray flows, preserving regulated Commonwealth water allocations for use in other watering actions described on this page.

NSW Lower Murray Wetlands

Status: This action is complete

About the watering

Commonwealth water for the environment was delivered by the Murray-Darling Wetlands Working Group (MDWWG) in combination with the MDWWG’s Environmental Water Trust allocations to several priority wetlands on or adjacent to Wingillie Station during 2021-22.

Several wetlands on the property, which is now managed for environmental purposes by the Hazel L Henry Farmland Nature Refuges, were watered to complement natural high flows from the River Murray that filled some of the other wetlands on the property.

The watering aimed to improve condition of floodplain and wetland vegetation, and provide habitat for waterbirds and frogs, including the threatened southern bell frog.

A particular focus of the watering was to maintain suitable conditions for the endangered Murray hardyhead in Little Frenchman’s Creek. For the last four years, water for the environment has been delivered to support the translocation of Murray hardyhead from the Riverland, SA, to Little Frenchman’s Creek. The project aims to reduce the risk of the species becoming extinct and the site is the only location where the species is known to live in New South Wales. Ongoing Murray hardyhead surveys at the site are being carried out to monitor the Murray hardyhead population and to inform delivery of water to target suitable salinity levels for the fish within the wetland. For more information about this project, see:

The watering and monitoring at Wingillie Station is part of a joint project involving the Australian Government, the Murray Darling Wetlands Working Group, the Hazel L Henry Farmland Nature Refuges, and NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. The NSW Department of Primary Industries (Fisheries) and Aquasave - Nature Glenelg Trust are additional key partners for the ongoing monitoring and management of the Murray hardyhead population in Little Frenchman’s Creek.

Weir Pool Manipulation and SA floodplains

Status: This action is complete

About the watering

Commonwealth environmental water was assigned to support weir pool manipulation at Locks 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 15. Sustained periods of unregulated flows during 2021-22 meant that Commonwealth environmental water was not required to support the weir pool manipulations at Lock 2, 4 and 5, however Commonwealth environmental water (8,189 ML) was delivered to support weir pool manipulations at Locks 7, 8, 9 and 15. The lowering and raising of weir pools aimed to provide increased variation in river flows, flows to watercourses such as Potterwalkagee Creek and the Lindsay River and flows to low-lying floodplain areas, such as the Victorian Mulcra floodplain.

In conjunction with the raising of lock 4 and 5 weir pools, Commonwealth environmental water was assigned to support the watering at Pike and Katarapko floodplains in South Australia. The sustained unregulated flows during 2021-22 meant that Commonwealth environmental water was not required to support these actions. The infrastructure was instead operated utilising the unregulated flows to provide mid-high level inundation events. While no Commonwealth environmental water was used during these events observed outcomes included a significant increase in frog abundance and species richness including the threatened Southern bell frog observed at 12 of 12 sites monitored on the Pike floodplain, evidence of breeding response from many fauna and flushes of growth in floodplain trees and a strong understory vegetation response.

South Australian Wetlands

Status: This action is complete

About the watering

As part of ongoing partnerships, Commonwealth environmental water was delivered to a number of South Australian wetlands by the following delivery partners:

Banrock Station (1,420 ML) as part of a continued commitment between the CEWH and Banrock Station
Calperum Station (1,478 ML) as part of a five-year partnership to 2024-25
Renmark Irrigation Trust (617 ML) as part of a continued commitment between the CEWH and Renmark Irrigation Trust
Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board (7,363 ML) as part of a five-year partnership to 2024-25
Nature Foundation Limited (709 ML)

This water was delivered to a number of creeks and wetlands along the Lower Murray floodplain and adjoining the Lower Lakes in 2021-22.

The purpose of the watering events was to contribute to environmental outcomes such as maintaining the condition of floodplain trees, understorey vegetation and submerged aquatic plant communities and providing refuge for waterbird, fish and frog species. A number of threatened species such as the Murray hardyhead fish, Regent parrot and southern bell frog benefited from flows targeted to known habitat sites, along with international migratory bird species.

Watering events were implemented across South Australia with the assistance of traditional owners, private landholders, Landcare and community groups, local councils, the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board and the South Australian Department for the Environment and Water.

2020-21

Watering action	Status of Commonwealth action
River Murray flows	Completed
Lower Darling/Baaka flows	Completed
Wingillie Station	Completed
Weir Pool Manipulation and SA Floodplains	Completed
South Australian Wetlands	Completed

River Murray flows

Status: Completed

About the watering

Commonwealth environmental water was delivered to provide benefits along the length of the River Murray in 2020-21, contributing to flows and targeting outcomes from Hume Dam through to the Coorong. The event built on the outcomes and learnings from The Southern Spring Flow 2019.

Commonwealth environmental water deliveries were pooled with water available to other environmental water holders for use in winter and spring. Nearly 325,000 ML of water for the environment (including Commonwealth and state-held water) was delivered from Hume Dam, with over 270,000 ML flowing the full length of the Murray through to the Lower Lakes and Coorong. The key objectives were to:

Support native fish and provide the conditions they depend on every year to feed and breed.
Connect the River Murray with its anabranches and creeks, to support aquatic plants, enable fish movement and provide food resources for aquatic animals.
Maintain core wetlands that are important for waterbirds.

Monitoring and observations during the spring pulse demonstrated great environmental responses to the increased flows, including from birds, vegetation, frogs and fish. A highlight was to discover significant numbers of silver perch eggs and larvae in the lower Murray for the first time in a decade. However, autumn monitoring failed to detect young-of-year fish, and it may be years before we know the degree to which the 2020 spring flow spawned fish have survived and recruited into the population.

For more information visit: The Southern Spring Flow 2019.

In addition to the winter-spring flows, 110 GL of water was delivered directly to South Australia from January to April to support connecting flows and protect threatened species habitat in the Coorong and Lower Lakes. The Commonwealth’s held South Australian allocation of 162 GL was also delivered in full, with 12.5 GL used in South Australian Wetlands (see section below for details) and the remainder delivered to the Coorong and Lower Lakes. Additional flows entered the Murray following upstream watering actions in tributaries such as the Goulburn and Murrumbidgee rivers, with a total of 155 GL from upstream tributaries reaching the Lower Murray.

Over 807 GL of Commonwealth environmental water flowed through the barrages to the Coorong during 2020-21.

Lower Darling/Baaka flows

Status: Completed

Following a prolonged period of cease-to-flow conditions in 2018-19, a return of inflows to the top Menindee Lakes (Wetherell and Pamamaroo) in early 2020, supported by temporary water restrictions put in place by the NSW Government, boosted Menindee Lakes storage and provided an opportunity to ‘restart’ the lower Darling/Baaka River in autumn 2020.

During spring 2021–21, around 25 gigalitres of water for the environment (Commonwealth and The Living Murray) was released into the lower Darling/Baaka. This was the first opportunity for environmental water to support Murray cod breeding, recruitment and river health since the devastating fish deaths in lower Darling/Baaka 2018 and 2019. Many golden perch that had been spawned in the upper reaches of the Barwon-Darling catchment in response to river flows in early in 2020 were transported downstream to Menindee Lakes. The environmental releases helped some of the juvenile fish to continue their journey into the lower Darling/Baaka and potentially on to the Murray.

For more information visit: Lower Baaka Spring Flow 2020-21.

Through the first half of 2021, additional inflows further boosted the Menindee Lakes storage. Further environmental water releases (around 7 gigalitres) were made in May-June 2021 to provide additional food resources and habitat for growing young fish.

Real-time monitoring, funded by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office, measured how the flows supported native fish and flow rates were adjusted based on these results. The monitoring found:

A strong breeding response from adult Murray cod that survived the preceding fish kills and cease to flow conditions.
Strong dispersal of young golden perch (that were originally spawned upstream of the Menindee Lakes in the Northern Basin in early 2020) from the Menindee lakes into the Lower Darling-Baaka river downstream.
Limited golden perch spawning was detected within the Lower Darling, likely related to the impacts on the population of the fish kills in Menindee in 2018 and subsequently along the lower Darling/Baaka through 2019 and early 2020.

The monitoring report is available at: Monitoring native fish response to environmental water delivery in the lower Darling River 2020-2021

Water for the environment is delivered in the lower Darling/Baaka in collaboration with the NSW Department of Planning Industry and Environment, National Parks and Wildlife Service, DPI Fisheries, WaterNSW, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority and the local community and First Nations people.

Wingillie Station

Status: Completed

About the watering

Commonwealth water for the environment (40 ML) was delivered by the Murray-Darling Wetlands Working Group to maintain suitable conditions for the endangered Murray hardyhead in Little Frenchman’s Creek during winter 2021.

For the last two years, water for the environment has been delivered to support the translocation of Murray hardyhead from the Riverland, SA, to Little Frenchman’s Creek on Wingillie Station. The translocation aimed to reduce the risk of the species becoming extinct and the site is the only location where the species is known to live in New South Wales.

Ongoing Murray hardyhead surveys at Wingillie Station have been carried out to monitor the Murray hardyhead population and to inform delivery of water to target suitable salinity levels for the fish within the wetland.

The watering and monitoring is part of a joint project involving the Australian Government, the NSW Department of Primary Industries (Fisheries), the Murray Darling Wetlands Working Group, NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, Aquasave - Nature Glenelg Trust, and the owners of Wingillie Station in western NSW – the Hazel L Henry Farmland Nature Refuges.

For more information about this project, see:

Weir Pool Manipulation and SA floodplains

Status: Completed

About the watering

Commonwealth environmental water was used to support weir pool manipulation at Locks 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 15. The lowering and raising of weir pools aimed to provide increased variation in river flows, which underpin important ecological functions, with benefits for both in-stream habitats (by increasing river flow when weir pools are drawn down) and low-lying floodplain areas (by inundating wetlands that sit slightly above normal weir pool levels, and recreating a more natural wetting and drying pattern for pools that are normally connected to weir pools).

In conjunction with the raising of lock 4 and 5 weir pools, Commonwealth environmental water contributed to watering the Pike and Katarapko floodplains in South Australia. A total of 5,354 ML of Commonwealth environmental water was used (net use) in these events utilising return flows from upstream environmental watering actions. This action used the newly constructed watering infrastructure which is designed to provide a more natural wetting and drying cycle within the floodplain, creeks and wetlands, which due to river regulation no longer get the water they need. Observed outcomes from these events included a significant increase in frog abundance and species richness, including the threatened Southern bell frog observed at 10 of 12 sites monitored in the Pike floodplain, significant yabby population increases and flushes of growth in floodplain trees including river red gum, black box, river cooba, lignum and a strong understory vegetation response.

South Australian Wetlands

Status: Completed

About the watering

As part of ongoing partnerships, Commonwealth environmental water was delivered to a number of South Australian wetlands by the following delivery partners:

Banrock Station (1,026 ML) as part of a continued commitment between the CEWH and Banrock Station
Calperum Station (1,068 ML) as part of a five-year partnership to 2024-25
Renmark Irrigation Trust (562 ML)
Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board (8,496 ML)
Nature Foundation Limited (842 ML)

This water was delivered to a number of creeks and wetlands along the Lower Murray floodplain and adjoining the Lower Lakes in 2020-21.

2019-20

Watering action	Status of Commonwealth action
River Murray flows	Complete
Weir Pool Manipulation	Complete
Wingillie Station	Complete
South Australian Wetlands	Complete
Lower Darling flows	Did not occur in 2019-20

River Murray flows

Status: Complete

About the watering

In 2019, all the environmental water agencies that work in the Murray valley pooled their water resources to deliver environmental flows down the length of the River Murray. Known as the ‘Southern Spring Flow’ a total of 330,000 ML of environmental water was delivered, to provide benefits along the length of the River Murray. The first flow started in August delivering water into rivers, creeks and wetlands in the mid-Murray. The second flow started in early September, to coincide with water delivered through the Goulburn River.

Travelling from Hume Dam to the Coorong, the flow benefitted multiple rivers, creeks and wetlands along the River Murray, watering plants and waterbird habitat, improving water quality, restoring connectivity and helping native fish and wetland refuges survive through dry times.

In addition to these this winter-spring flows, over 140,000 ML of Commonwealth environmental water (allocation against South Australian entitlement) was delivered throughout the year to underpin baseflows and connectivity, and 100,000 ML of additional water was delivered to South Australia between December 2019 and April 2020 to support connecting flows with the Coorong. Return flow volumes from upstream Victorian catchments (<30,000 ML) were also delivered between February and June.

Given the dry conditions, Commonwealth environmental water targeted the following outcomes in the Lower River Murray channel:

Support processes such as primary production, mobilisation and transport of nutrients throughout the River Murray catchment, which underpin food webs and are essential to the health of the system.
Provide native fish with in-stream habitat and connect the river channel with wetlands and anabranches to maintain native fish condition and provide opportunities (where feasible) for recruitment, spawning and movement.

Water delivered to the Lower Lakes and Coorong targeted the following outcomes:

Support flows through the barrage fishways to provide a connection between the River Murray channel, Lower Lakes and Coorong and allow the seasonal movement of migratory fish species.
Reduce salinity levels in the north lagoon of the Coorong to support estuarine fish.
Support native vegetation fringing the Lower Lakes, which in turn provides habitat for small-bodied native fish and frogs.
Provide habitat and food to support waterbirds.

What did the flow achieve?

Results for the flow are still coming in, but early observations include:

Murray cod spawning in the River Murray
increased ranges of Murray Hardyhead and Southern Pygmy Perch in the Lower Lakes
increases in fish food in both the Mid and Lower Murray. There was a significant increase in zooplankton numbers in the Lower River Murray, most likely due to wetting of low-lying areas along the edges of the river.
improved connections with the Coorong, supporting the migration and breeding of native fish such as congolli. Monitoring in late spring 2019 undertaken by the University of Adelaide found that congolli was the most abundant fish species in the Lower Lakes, the first time since surveys began in the mid 2000’s.
exporting salt from the Basin
a number of outcomes upstream in the mid-Murray

More information is available on The Southern Spring Flow. See also: Wind, waves and wi-fi – A winning combination for the Coorong.

Monitoring will continue to help us learn more about what worked well and what could be done better with future deliveries of water for the environment.

Left: Lamprey movement through the barrages. Right: Juvenile Murray Cod. Photos: SARDI

Weir Pool Manipulation

Status: Complete

About the watering

Commonwealth environmental water supported weir pool manipulation at Locks 2 7, 8, 9 and 15. The lowering and raising of weir pools aims to provide increased variation in river flows, which underpin important ecological functions, with benefits for both in-stream habitats (by increasing river flow when weir pools are drawn down) and low-lying floodplain areas (by inundating wetlands that sit slightly above normal weir pool levels, and recreating a more natural wetting and drying pattern for pools that are normally connected to weir pools).

Wallpolla Creek in Victoria benefits from weir pool raising. Photo: CEWO

Wingillie Station

Status: Complete

Endangered Murray hardyhead captured during 2018 post-translocation surveys at Wingillie Station. Photo: NSW Department of Primary Industries Fisheries, 2019.

About the watering

Environmental water (including 61 ML of Commonwealth environmental water along with water supplied by the Hazel L Henry Farmland Nature Refuges) was delivered to maintain suitable conditions for the endangered Murray hardyhead in Little Frenchman’s Creek during 2019-20.

In 2018-19 environmental water was delivered to support the translocation of around 800 Murray hardyhead from the Riverland, SA, to Little Frenchman’s Creek on Wingillie Station. The translocation aimed to reduce the risk of the species becoming extinct. Watering in 2019-20 has enabled ideal salinity levels for Murray hardyhead to be maintained within the wetland.

Surveys throughout 2018-19 and 2019-20 have demonstrated that the translocation was successful, with the Murray hardyhead surviving and breeding following their release to Little Frenchman’s Creek.

The watering and relocation project is a joint project involving the Commonwealth Government, the NSW Department of Primary Industries Fisheries, NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, Western Local Land Services, the SA Department for Environment and Water, Aquasave - Nature Glenelg Trust, the Murray Darling Wetlands Working Group, and the owners of Wingillie Station in western NSW – the Hazel L Henry Farmland Nature Refuges.

For more information about this project, see:

South Australian Wetlands

Status: Complete

About the watering

As part of ongoing partnerships, Commonwealth environmental water was delivered to a number of South Australian wetlands by the following delivery partners:

Banrock Station (1,472 ML)
Renmark Irrigation Trust (224 ML)
Nature Foundation South Australia (1,338 ML)
South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board (6,157 ML)
Australian Landscape Trust (335 ML)

The purpose of the watering events is to contribute to environmental outcomes such as maintaining the condition of floodplain trees, understorey vegetation and submerged aquatic plant communities and providing refuge for waterbird, fish and frog species. Due to the ongoing dry conditions, high priority was placed on sites that support EPBC listed species, including the Murray hardyhead, regent parrot and southern bell-frog.

Watering events were implemented across South Australia with the assistance of traditional owners, private landholders, Landcare and community groups, local councils and the South Australian Department for the Environment and Water.

A number of fact sheets and other media related to watering events managed by Nature Foundation South Australia were produced.

Information on monitoring projects undertaken at wetlands by the Natural Resources Management Board are available at: Monitoring South Australian River Murray wetlands and floodplains.

Photos showing benefits of Wetland watering in South Australia. Photos: NFSA (top left); R, Kerlertas (Top Right); and CEWO

Lower Darling flows

Status: Did not occur in 2019-20

Inflows to Menindee Lakes from the northern Basin during autumn 2020 allowed for a resumption flow in the Lower Darling. Following the prolonged period of cease-to-flow conditions and associated fish deaths in 2018-19, this was a relief and a much-welcomed turn of events for native fish and the Lower Darling community.

Limited allocations of environmental water were not delivered during 2019-20 following the resumption flows, and instead have been reserved for use in spring 2020-21.

2018-19

Watering action	Status of Commonwealth action
River Murray flows	Completed
Weir Pool Manipulation	Completed
Wingillie Station	Completed
South Australian Wetlands	Completed
Lower Darling River flows	Did not proceed

River Murray flows

Status: Completed

About the watering

Commonwealth environmental water, along with a number of other sources of environmental water, was delivered to provide benefits along the length of the River Murray in 2018-19, contributing to flows and targeting outcomes from Hume Dam through to the Coorong.

Commonwealth environmental water was delivered to achieve the following in the Lower River Murray channel:

Maintain the existing area and condition of native vegetation alongside and within the river, anabranches and floodplain wetlands.
Support processes such as primary production, mobilisation and transport of nutrients throughout the River Murray catchment, which underpin food webs and are essential to the health of the system.
Provide native fish with in-stream habitat and connect the river channel with wetlands and anabranches to maintain native fish condition and provide opportunities (where feasible) for recruitment, spawning and movement.

Water was delivered to the Lower Lakes and Coorong to:

Maintain sufficient flows through the barrage fishways to provide a continuous connection between the River Murray channel, Lower Lakes and Coorong and allow the seasonal movement of migratory fish species.
Maintain salinity in the north lagoon of the Coorong at levels that support estuarine fish.
Maintain the existing area and condition of native vegetation fringing the Lower Lakes, which in turn provides habitat for small-bodied native fish and frogs.
Provide habitat and food to support waterbirds.

Around 549,149 ML of Commonwealth environmental water was delivered to South Australia in 2018-19, including flows returning from watering events in upstream tributaries such as the Goulburn River (which means that the water contributes to multiple outcomes as it moves throughout the southern Murray-Darling system).

The Coorong and Murray Mouth, Waterbirds in the Coorong at sunset, Successful black bream recruitment. Photos: CEWO; P Wainwright; SARDI

Weir Pool Manipulation

Status: Complete

About the watering

Commonwealth environmental water supported weir pool manipulation at Locks 2, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 15. The lowering and raising of weir pools aims to provide increased variation in river flows, which underpin important ecological functions, with benefits for both in-stream habitats (by increasing river flow when weir pools are drawn down) and low-lying floodplain areas (by inundating wetlands that sit slightly above normal weir pool levels, and recreating a more natural wetting and drying pattern for pools that are normally connected to weir pools).

Wingillie Station

Status: Complete

About the watering

Up to 1,500ML of Commonwealth environmental water was approved for use in the NSW River Murray Wetlands. In 2018-19, 54.8 ML of this water, along with 391.3 ML of water from the Hazel L. Trust, administered by the Murray–Darling Wetlands Working Group was delivered to Wingillie Station, NSW.

Wingillie Station supports a range of vegetation communities and habitat types, including semi-permanent and intermittent wetlands, which support a range of flora and fauna species including the nationally endangered Southern bell frog. Environmental watering in 2018-19 supported native vegetation condition and aquatic habitat to for the reintroduction of endangered Murray Hardyhead into Little Frenchman’s Creek at Wingillie Station. This watering action was delivered in partnership with NSW Office of Environment and Heritage and Murray–Darling Wetlands Working Group.

In November 2018, some 780 Murray hardyhead were successfully translocated from the Disher Creek population in South Australia into the Little Frenchman's Creek and its associated surrogate refuge dam on Wingillie station. Sampling during the first and second post-translocation survey (late March and late May 2019 respectively) captured more Murray Hardyhead than were initially translocated (approximately 1200 individuals), and included both adults and juveniles. These results indicate successful breeding by the translocated fish following their release to LFC.

Reinforcement of the reintroduced subpopulation was considered in February-March 2019, however this was postponed based on outcomes of monitoring (i.e. that the existing translocated population was breeding), but will be reconsidered following outcomes of spring 2019 monitoring.

The relocation is a joint project involving the Commonwealth Government, the NSW Department of Primary Industries Fisheries, Western Local Land Services, the SA Department for Environment and Water, Aquasave - Nature Glenelg Trust, the Murray Darling Wetlands Working Group, and the owners of Wingillie Station in western NSW.

For more information about this project, see the following media releases:

Jody Swirepik and Commonwealth Environmental Water Office staff with Wingillie Station site managers at Wingillie Lagoon, 2018. Photo: CEWO

More information about the watering at Wingillie Station and Lucerne Day floodplain can be found on page 18 in the Wetlands Australia: National Wetlands Update February 2018.

South Australian Wetlands

Status: Complete

About the watering

As part of ongoing partnerships, Commonwealth environmental water was delivered to a number of South Australian wetlands by the following delivery partners:

South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board (8,635 ML)
Nature Foundation SA (1,547 ML)
Banrock Station (570 ML)
Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority (500 ML)
Renmark Irrigation Trust (243 ML)
Calperum Station (854 ML)

The purpose of the watering events was to contribute to environmental outcomes such as maintaining the condition of floodplain trees, understorey vegetation and submerged aquatic plant communities and providing refuge for waterbird and frog species. A particular focus at Berri Basin and Disher Creek (managed by the Natural Resources Management Board) was to maintain habitat and populations of the nationally endangered Murray hardyhead.

Watering events were being implemented across South Australia with the assistance of traditional owners, private landholders, Landcare and community groups, local councils and the South Australian Department for the Environment and Water.

A number of fact sheets and other media related to watering events managed by Nature Foundation South Australia were produced.

Information on monitoring projects undertaken at wetlands by the Natural Resources Management Board are available at: Monitoring South Australian River Murray wetlands and floodplains.

Photos showing benefits of Wetland watering in South Australia. Photos: NFSA (top left); R, Kerlertas (Top Right); and CEWO

Lower Darling flows

Status: Did not occur in 2018-19

Given the dry conditions and low storage volumes in Menindee Lakes, there were no feasible options for environmental watering in the Lower Darling System.

The Lower Darling was subject to tragic fish death events in December 2018 and January 2019. For more information see Fish deaths in the Lower Darling.

2017-18

Watering action	Status of Commonwealth action
River Murray flows	Completed
Lower Darling River flows	Completed
Hattah Lakes	Completed
Wingillie Station and Lucerne Day	Completed
South Australian Wetlands	Completed
Banrock Station	Completed
Renmark Irrigation Trust	Completed
SA Weir Pool Manipulation	Completed

River Murray flows

Status: Completed

About the watering

Commonwealth environmental water, along with a number of other sources of environmental water, was delivered to provide benefits along the length of the River Murray in 2017-18, contributing to flows and targeting outcomes from Hume Dam through to the Coorong.

Commonwealth environmental water was being delivered to:

Provide native fish with in-stream habitat and food to improve their condition and opportunities for migration and spawning.
Maintain salinity in the north lagoon of the Coorong at levels that support estuarine fish; and provide sufficient flows through the barrages to attract fish towards the fishways to move between the Coorong, Lower Lakes and river channel.
Maintain the existing area and condition of native vegetation alongside the river and anabranches, and in low-lying floodplain wetlands.
Support salinity and water levels in the Coorong (where feasible) to protect the current area and promote the health of Ruppia tuberosa, a submerged aquatic plant that is underpins the health of estuary.
Provide habitat for waterbirds and support waterbird breeding events.
Support processes such as the mobilisation and transport of nutrients throughout the River Murray catchment, which are essential to the health of the system.

Almost 900,000 ML of Commonwealth environmental water was delivered to South Australia in 2017-18, including flows returning from watering events in upstream tributaries such as the Goulburn River (which means that the water contributes to multiple outcomes as it moves throughout the southern Murray-Darling system).

Researchers of the South Australian Research and Development Institute monitoring fish larvae and microinvertebrates; Golden Perch captured near Waikerie; and the Coorong. Photos: South Australian Research and Development Institute and CEWO

Lower Darling River

Status: Completed

About the watering

A total of 2,738 ML of Commonwealth environmental water was delivered to the Lower Darling in November 2017, to provide habitat for large-bodied native fish species present and support spawning of Murray cod.

The watering event provided additional social and economic benefits by flushing saline water downstream to the River Murray where it was diluted by River Murray flows. Environmental water delivery was managed collaboratively with river operators, the New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage, fisheries scientists and local communities.

(left to right) The Lower Darling River at Karoola; The Lower Darling River at the Anabranch Junction; Weir 32 on the Lower Darling River Photos: CEWO

Hattah Lakes

Status: Completed

About the watering

Environmental water from the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, Victorian Environmental Water Holder and The Living Murray was delivered to Hattah Lakes between July and October 2017. Up to 125,000 ML of environmental water was allocated to the lakes for this event with 111,933 ML of environmental water delivered. Of this, 32,145 ML of Commonwealth environmental water was delivered. Water used in this event was primarily drawn from ‘return flows’, which is a term for environmental water already in the river from other upstream environmental watering actions, such as from the Goulburn River and Hume Dam.

This watering of Hattah Lakes built upon the outcomes achieved from the 2016 flood event. The primary objective of the 2017-18 watering event was to inundate areas of black box woodland, situated at higher elevations on the floodplain. Monitoring undertaken throughout the duration of the event recorded an exceptional frog and waterbird response to the watering event. For further information see the Parks Victoria website.

Environmental water was delivered to Hattah Lakes to build upon outcomes achieved from the 2016-17 flood event. Photos: CEWO.

Wingillie Station and Lucerne Day

Status: Completed

About the watering

Commonwealth environmental water (1,471 ML) was delivered to Wingillie Station and Lucerne Day (NSW River Murray Wetlands). Both Wingillie Station and Lucerne Day support a range of vegetation communities and habitat types, including semi-permanent and intermittent wetlands, which support a range of flora and fauna species including the nationally endangered Southern bell frog.

The aim of providing water to these sites was to build upon the positive ecological outcomes achieved by natural high flows that occurred in the region in spring 2016. Many wetlands in the region are still recovering from drought and require several years of consecutive inundation to restore condition and build resilience of riparian trees and vegetation communities.

Targeted outcomes included: maintaining the extent and condition of riparian vegetation, maintaining current species diversity, improve breeding success and abundances of water dependent bird species and support and maintain vegetation condition and habitat important for supporting fauna.

Monitoring detected the presence of six frog species including high abundances of the nationally threatened southern bell frog. Additionally, at least 16 species of waterbirds from a range of functional groups were recorded at the site. Regent parrots, a species of conservation significance, were also recorded at the site, utilising watered river red gum trees.

This action was delivered in partnership with NSW Office of Environment and Heritage and Murray–Darling Wetlands Working Group.

More information about the watering at Wingillie Station and Lucerne Day floodplain can be found on page 18 in the Wetlands Australia: National Wetlands Update February 2018.

(left) Lucerne Day receiving environmental water Photo: Murray–Darling Wetlands Working Group. (right) Southern bell frog (Litoria raniformis) found at a watered site. Photo: H. Waudby, NSW Office of Environment and Heritage.

South Australian Wetlands

Status: Completed

About the watering

As part of ongoing partnerships, Commonwealth environmental water was made available to the Nature Foundation SA and the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board to deliver to a number of wetlands along the Lower Murray floodplain and adjoining the Lower Lakes in 2017-18.

1,760 ML was delivered to South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board sites in 2017-18. 4,945 ML was delivered to Nature Foundation SA sites in 2017-18.

Environmental watering sought to build upon outcomes achieved by natural high flows that occurred in the region between spring and summer 2016.

The purpose of the watering events was to contribute to environmental outcomes such as maintaining the condition of floodplain trees, understorey vegetation and submerged aquatic plant communities, and to provide habitat and opportunities for breeding for waterbird and frog species. A particular focus at Berri Basin and Disher Creek (managed by the Natural Resources Management Board) was to maintain habitat and populations of the nationally endangered Murray hardyhead.

Watering events have been implemented across South Australia with the assistance of the Raukkan Community Council, the Ngarrindjeri community, Mannum Aboriginal Community Association Incorporated, Nildottie Progress Association, the Australian Landscape Trust, the Pike River Land Management Group, private landholders, Landcare Groups, First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee, local councils and the South Australian Department for Environment and Water.

A number of fact sheets and other media related to watering events managed by Nature Foundation South Australia were produced.

Multi-year monitoring summaries for a number of wetlands are available from Natural Resources South Australian Murray-Darling Basin: Monitoring South Australian River Murray wetlands and floodplains.

Results from environmental watering at Lower Murray wetlands during 2015-16. Photos: South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board and CEWO.

Banrock Station

Status: Completed

About the watering

Commonwealth environmental water (2,004 ML) was delivered at Banrock Station in 2017-18, as part of a three year agreement that commenced in 2015-16.

Banrock Station is a Ramsar site (a wetland of international importance) because it is a model or demonstration site for the Ramsar Convention's fundamental principle of "wise use", combining private enterprise with wetland conservation and, raising awareness of the important values and functions of wetlands. The wetland complex is home to many species of plants, birds, reptiles, mammals, fish and frogs including the nationally threatened Southern bell frog and the Regent parrot.

Environmental watering at Banrock Station in 2015-16. Photos: Banrock Station.

Renmark Irrigation Trust

Status: Completed

About the watering

Commonwealth environmental water (337 ML) was delivered to several sites across the Renmark-Paringa area in South Australia as part of a three year agreement that commenced in 2016-17.

The purpose of the watering events is to contribute to environmental outcomes such as maintaining or improving the condition of floodplain trees, understorey vegetation and submerged aquatic plant communities, reduce soil salinities, increase the diversity and abundances of waterbird and frogs through aquatic habitat improvements and improve connectivity between watered sites and adjacent waterways.

Sites receiving Commonwealth environmental water under a three year partnership agreement with the Renmark Irrigation Trust. Photos: CEWO.

South Australian Weir Pool Manipulation

Status: Completed

About the watering

Commonwealth environmental water was used to support weir pool manipulation at Locks 2, 5 and 6. The lowering and raising of weir pools aims to provide increased variation in river flows, which underpin important ecological functions, with benefits for both in-stream habitats and low-lying floodplain areas.

2016-17

Watering action	Status of Commonwealth action
River Murray flows	Completed
Lower Darling River flows	Completed
Great Darling Anabranch	Completed
Lower Murray Wetlands	Completed

River Murray flows

Status: This action is complete

About the watering

The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, contributed to whole-of-system watering in the River Murray, providing benefits along the length of the River Murray in 2016-17 and contributing to flows and targeting outcomes from Hume Dam through to the Coorong. Significant natural flows resulting from rainfall events moved through the length of the River Murray system from June 2016 to January 2017. Following the recession of these flows, environmental water was used to help boost the health of wetlands and floodplains along the length of the River Murray.

Specifically, Commonwealth environmental water was released from Hume Dam to support in-channel, wetland and low elevation floodplain habitat along the length of the River Murray to improve the condition and promote the migration of native fish species; support waterbird habitat and breeding events; and, mobilise and export salts from the River Murray system.

In addition to the volume released from Hume Dam, return flows and the Commonwealth’s 151 GL of held South Australian allocation were delivered directly to the South Australian border to meet environmental demands in the Lower River Murray, particularly for maintaining connectivity between the Lower Lakes and Coorong, and provide suitable habitat conditions (both salinity and water levels) in the Coorong for estuarine fish and vegetation species.

Lower Darling River and Great Darling Anabranch flows

Status: Lower Darling River flows - This action is complete, Great Darling Anabranch flows – This action is complete

About the watering

High rainfall conditions and inflows to the Menindee Lakes during winter-spring 2016 provided the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder with an opportunity to deliver environmental water to support native fish populations in the Lower Darling as well as the longer-term health of the river system.

Extended dry conditions in the northern Murray-Darling Basin and high evaporation from Menindee Lakes saw the Lower Darling River channel receiving minimum flows in 2014-15 and ceasing to flow during 2015-16, resulting in a critical demand for water to reinstate aquatic habitat for native fish populations. The Great Darling Anabranch had not received flows since 2013.

Lower Darling River

Between September 2016 and January 2017, environmental water (from The Living Murray and Commonwealth) was delivered down the Lower Darling River, targeting spawning, recruitment and movement of Murray cod, and improving water quality. Operational releases increased in early January in response to downstream demands, which resulted in environmental water releases being suspended. Operational releases were decreased back to minimum flows in late April 2017, at which time environmental releases recommenced to provide higher baseflows in the river. Commonwealth environmental water was delivered to maintain water quality in refuge pools and to provide habitat for large-bodied native fish species present in the Lower Darling River.

Great Darling Anabranch

Environmental water delivery to the Great Darling Anabranch (from the Commonwealth and New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage) commenced in mid-February 2017, aiming to support juvenile native fish (such as golden perch) to disperse from Lake Cawndilla into the Murray. The flows were also provided to improve water quality and achieve longitudinal connectivity. Flows from the Anabranch connected to the River Murray in late April 2017 and releases ceased in late June. Water to support this action was sourced from Lake Cawndilla.

Both watering events were anticipated to provide additional social and economic benefits by flushing saline water downstream to the River Murray where it can be diluted by River Murray flows. Environmental water delivery was managed collaboratively with river operators, the New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage, fisheries scientists and local communities.

Lower Murray Wetlands

Status: This action is complete.

About the watering

As part of ongoing partnerships, Commonwealth environmental water was made available to the Nature Foundation South Australia and the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board to deliver to a number of wetlands along the Lower Murray floodplain and adjoining the Lower Lakes in 2016-17.

1.5 GL of Commonwealth environmental water was delivered by Nature Foundation South Australia to wetlands as part of ongoing restoration projects that commenced in 2013-14 or 2014-15. The watering events were implemented with the assistance of the Raukkan Community Council, the Ngarrindjeri community, Mannum Aboriginal Community Association Incorporated, Nildottie Progress Association, the Australian Landscape Trust, the Pike River Land Management Group, private landholders, Landcare Groups, local councils and the South Australian Department of the Environment, Water and Natural Resources.

946 ML of Commonwealth environmental water was delivered by the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board to two sites in the South Australian Riverland. These events were undertaken in partnership with landholders, wetland groups, Landcare Groups, traditional owners and the River Murray Advisory Committee.

The purpose of the watering events was to contribute to environmental outcomes such as supporting the condition of floodplain trees, understorey vegetation and submerged plant communities and to provide habitat for bird and frog species. A particular focus at Berri and Disher Creeks (managed by on the Natural Resources Management Board) is on maintaining the nationally endangered Murray Hardyhead.

A number of fact sheets and other media related to watering events managed by Nature Foundation South Australia is available on the Water For Nature (link is external) website. Multi-year monitoring summaries for a number of wetlands are available from Natural Resources South Australian Murray-Darling Basin: Monitoring South Australian River Murray wetlands and floodplains.

2015-16

Environmental watering in the catchment in 2015-16
Watering action	Status of Commonwealth action
Coorong flows	Completed
River Murray Valley flows	Completed
Carrs and Capitts Creek and Backwater Lagoon	Completed
Weir Pool Manipulation: Locks 2, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 15	Completed
Mallee Wetlands	Completed
Hattah Lakes	Completed
Lower Murray Wetlands	Completed
Banrock Station	Completed

Coorong Flows

Status: This action is complete.

About the watering

Maintaining barrage flow over summer is critical to protect water quality and estuarine habitat for native fish populations in the Coorong. Above average and average rainfall in recent years and delivery of significant volumes of environmental water have improved conditions in the Lower Lakes and Coorong. However, the Coorong’s recovery remains a priority because increasing salinity levels over summer present a risk of long-term ecological damage.

Providing environmental flow into the Coorong was a priority for the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder in 2015-16. The Water Holder entered into an agreement with the South Australian Department of Environment Water and Natural Resources to provide100 GL of Commonwealth environmental water between January and March 2016. This water was used to support site management by balancing the need to minimise potential impacts associated with low lake water levels and the critical need to maintain minimum fishway flows through the barrages into the Coorong. This water was in addition to the 722 GL of Commonwealth environmental water delivered to maintain barrage flow to the Lower Lakes to 31 December 2015 as part of the River Murray Valley Flows and including return flows from watering events in Victorian tributaries.

The Barrages, Lower Lakes

The Coorong

River Murray Valley Flows

Status: This action is complete.

About the watering

The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder contributed to a whole of system watering in the River Murray, primarily through winter-spring 2015-16. The flow regime provided a series of environmental flows in the mid and lower Murray, to achieve whole of system benefits from Hume Dam through to the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth. A total of 367 GL of Commonwealth environmental water was released from Hume Dam to support in-channel, wetland and low elevation floodplain habitat throughout the River Murray for improving the condition, movement and recruitment of native fish – both silver (critically endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) and golden perch were detected spawning in the Mid Murray in response to flow variability; improve riparian and wetland vegetation condition; and contribute to the managed export of salt from the River Murray system.

Releases of Commonwealth environmental water from storage commenced in June 2015 and were guided by natural hydrological cues. In effect this meant releases from Hume Dam were triggered by dam inflows, so that river flows reflected natural seasonal conditions and mimicked what may have happened naturally.

In addition to this volume released from Hume Dam and the volume approved for the Coorong, return flows and the Commonwealth’s 134 GL of held South Australian allocation were delivered directly to the South Australian border for meeting environmental demands in the Lower River Murray, particularly for maintaining connectivity between the Lower Lakes Coorong and providing suitable habitat conditions (salinity and water levels) in the Coorong for estuarine fish and vegetation species.

River Murray through Barmah Millewa Forest, at Euston and in South Australia (showing David Fleer and George Giatas of the South Australian Research and Development Institute monitoring fish larvae and microinvertebrates). Photos: Commonwealth Environmental Water Office and South Australian Research and Development Institute

Carrs and Capitts Creek and Backwater Lagoon

Status: This action is complete.

About the watering

950 ML of Commonwealth environmental water was delivered by Murray Darling Wetlands Working Group to the Carrs, Capitts, Bunberoo creeks system and Backwater Lagoon along the NSW Lower Murray floodplain between Lock 9 and Lock 8 in autumn 2016.

The watering event was implemented in partnership with the Ta-Ru Lands Board of Management, New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage, New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service, Western Local Lands Services, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Water, Moorna Station, SA Water, the Murray Darling Freshwater Research Centre and The Nature Conservancy.

The watering contributed to environmental outcomes such as supporting the condition of floodplain trees, understorey vegetation and submerged plant communities and to provide habitat for bird and frog species. The event provided an opportunity for the Murray Darling Wetlands Working Group to work with the traditional owners to manage ecological outcomes from the watering event, including those of cultural significance.

See also media release: Building capacity locally is key to protecting and restoring the Tar-Ru Lands - Joint Media Release - 4 April 2016

Carrs Capitts and Bunberoo Creek System, set to benefits for the first environmental watering event in a decade during autumn 2015.

Weir Pool Manipulation: Locks 2, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 15

Status: This action is complete.

About the watering

This action used a portion of River Murray Flows to support the manipulation of weir pool levels at Locks 2, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 15 in 2015-16. Stable water levels at weir pools along the length of the River Murray have reduced the variability and frequency of high and low flows for some distance upstream of the weirs, as well as impacting inundation patterns of wetlands associated with the weir pools. In addition to improving flow variability within the river channel, the proposed weir pool manipulation events will provide inundation for fringing wetlands and lakes, as well as flows through important flowing habitat for fish such as in Potterwalkagee Creek (Mulcra Island) and Lindsay River and Mullaroo Creek, (where regulating structures constructed under The Living Murray program were commissioned this year). The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder provided 192 ML to flow via gravity into a wetland on 'Wingillie Station' to take advantage of a higher Lock 8 weir pool during October. This event occured through a partnership with the Hazel L Henry Farmland Nature Refuges Trust.

Weir pool manipulation provides a highly efficient means of achieving environmental outcomes, with 'losses' associated with weir pool raising and flows into creeks and wetlands largely offset by 'gains' from lower water levels associated with weir pool drawdown.

Weir pool manipulation was managed by New South Wales Department of Primary Industries – Water, New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage, the Mallee Catchment Management Authority, Murray-Darling Basin Authority River Murray Operations, the South Australian Department of the Environment, Water and Natural Resources and SA Water, in collaboration with regional site managers and other relevant state government authorities.

Benefits of weir pool raising: Flowing habitat for fish: Potterwalkagee Creek (Mulcra Island) receiving environmental flows as a result of raising the Lock 9 weir pool in 2014-15.
Photos: Commonwealth Environmental Water Office

Benefits of weir pool drawdown: Vegetation recolonising areas that have been permanently inundated in the past – bank of the River Murray above Lock 8 and Wangumma wetland during weir pool draw down in 2014-15
Photos: New South Wales Department of Primary Industries – Water

Mallee Wetlands

Status: This action is complete.

About the watering

This was the final year where Commonwealth environmental water was made available to support the watering program to selected Mallee wetlands (2013-14 to 2015-16). A total of 5.5 GL was delivered during this period, in conjunction with an equivalent volume of water made available by the Victorian Environmental Water Holder. This three year environmental watering program formed part of long-term rehabilitation that is expected to:

Improve condition and maintenance of native floodplain and wetland vegetation;
Improve diversity and condition of frog and waterbird populations through maintenance of suitable aquatic habitat; and
Manage transport and export of salt from the River Murray system to the Southern Ocean.

The watering program contributed to supporting the long term recovery of the endangered Murray hardyhead fish, a unique freshwater fish that flourishes in moderately saline waters. An environmental watering program has been undertaken at two wetlands in the Mallee region, Cardross Lakes and Lake Koorlong, for over ten years to maintain stable Murray hardyhead populations. The floodplain wetlands are ecologically important as they contain remnants of the River Murray floodplain natural character and attributes. The long-term aim of the rehabilitation program at these wetlands is to provide appropriate habitat to support translocated populations of Murray hardyhead. Translocation has started at Brickworks Billabong, in an attempt to establish self-sustaining populations and build further resilience of this species in the region.

Brickworks Billabong in the Victorian Mallee, 2014. In February 2015, a sub-population of Murray hardyhead were translocated to this site from the South Australian Riverland, as part of ongoing efforts by several agencies to restore the population of this endangered fish species. Photo: Commonwealth Environmental Water Office

Hattah Lakes

Status: This action is complete

About the watering

Over 5,300 ML of Commonwealth environmental water was delivered to Hattah Lakes in spring 2015 to provide improved habitat and food resources for native fish and waterbirds, and support the ongoing reestablishment of water dependant vegetation. The Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH) contributed a further 1,272 ML to the action. Approximately 350 ML of environmental water was returned to the River Murray in mid-November to promote the movement of native fish from the Lakes system to the River.

The scale and duration of watering in 2015-16 was guided by seasonal conditions and natural hydrological cues. The Commonwealth Environmental Water Office (CEWO), VEWH and Mallee Catchment Management Authority (Mallee CMA), in consultation with the Hattah Operations Group (HOG), trialled a set of 'management triggers' based on modelled natural flow forecasts in the River Murray to inform operational decisions for environmental watering.

Options for environmental watering actions in 2015-16 included:

a small watering action under a dry climate scenario to provide flows to waterways and partial inundation of semi-permanent wetlands during spring (considered to be the minimum necessary for consolidating ecological outcomes from the large watering event in 2014);
a larger action under an average scenario, targeting inundation of semi-permanent and persistent wetlands to a level of 42.5 m AHD for two months; and
a hybrid action (pumping and natural inflows) under average or wet conditions if actual River Murray flows exceed 20,000 ML/d resulting in natural inflows into Hattah Lakes.

Management triggers for the larger actions (2 & 3) were not met and the smaller watering action was implemented, consistent with the dry seasonal conditions experienced in spring 2015.

Environmental watering was undertaken in partnership with the VEWH. Watering actions were managed by the Mallee CMA, Goulburn Murray Water, Lower Murray Water and Murray Darling Basin Authority River Murray Operations, in consultation with the Hattah Lakes Operations Group and regional land managers.

Hattah Lakes 2015 Photo: Commonwealth Environmental Water Office

Lower Murray Wetlands

Status: This action is complete.

About the watering

3 GL of Commonwealth environmental water was delivered by Nature Foundation South Australia to wetlands as part of ongoing restoration projects that commenced in 2013-14 or 2014-15. Several of the sites are located on or adjacent to the Riverland and Coorong, Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert Ramsar sites. Additional wetlands that were included in the 2015-16 watering program include sites on the Pike-Mundic Floodplain, private property wetlands and several sites in the Swan Reach/Mannum area. The watering events were implemented with the assistance of the Raukkan Community Council, the Ngarrandjeri community, Mannum Aboriginal Community Association Incorporated, Nildottie Progress Association, the Australian Landscape Trust, the Pike River Land Management Group, private landholders, Local Action Plan Committees, local councils and the South Australian Department of the Environment, Water and Natural Resources.

6 GL of Commonwealth environmental water was delivered by the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board to a number of important wetland sites through the South Australian Riverland. These events were undertaken in partnership with landholders, wetland groups, Local Action Planning Groups, traditional owners and the River Murray Advisory Committee.

A number of fact sheets and other media related to watering events managed by Nature Foundation South Australia is available on the Nature Foundation website.

Multi-year monitoring summaries for a number of wetlands are available from Natural Resources South Australian Murray-Darling Basin: Monitoring South Australian River Murray wetlands and floodplains

Councillor Trevor Norton (District Council of Loxton Waikerie), Craig Ferber (Project Manager, Loxton to Bookpurnong Local Action Planning Committee), Michelle Campbell (Local Engagement Officer, Commonwealth Environmental Water Office) and Ian Atkinson (Chief Executive Officer, Nature Foundation South Australia) watching environmental water flowing into a wetland at Loxton Riverfront Reserve in 2014. Photo: Commonwealth Environmental Water Office

Nikalapko Wetland receiving Commonwealth environmental water, December 2014 Photo: South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board

Banrock Station multi-year agreement

Status: This action is complete

About the watering

2015-16 saw the start of an important partnership between Banrock Station and the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder. Banrock Station is a Ramsar site (a wetland of international importance) because it is a model or demonstration site for the Ramsar Convention's fundamental principle of "wise use", combining private enterprise with wetland conservation and rehabilitation and with raising awareness of the important values and functions of wetlands. The wetland complex is home for 284 species of plants (including 108 regionally endangered, 11 state-wide endangered and 1 nationally endangered), 171 species of birds (making it a significant bird hotspot in South Australia and Australia), 47 species of reptiles, 13 species of mammals, 9 species of fish and 8 species of amphibians. The site supports important refuge habitat for the nationally threatened Southern Bell Frog and the Regent Parrot.

The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder provided 2 GL to Banrock Station beginning in 2015-16 to provide suitable habitat particularly for the Regent Parrot, Swamp Daisy, Southern Bell Frog and waterbirds.

Banrock Station 2014. Photo: Commonwealth Environmental Water Office

Note: Further information on Commonwealth environmental watering actions in the Lower Murray will be added as decisions are made by the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder. The Menindee Lakes are currently being managed by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries – Water to conserve the currently limited water supply for local towns, water users and the environment of the regulated Lower Darling River. As such, while there is a high need for environmental flows in the Lower Darling River, it is unlikely that the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder will be able to assist in meeting this need. Further information on drought management of the Menindee Lakes is available on the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Office of Water website.

2014-15

Environmental watering in the catchment in 2014-15
Watering action	Status of Commonwealth action
Murray Valley River Flows and the Coorong	Completed
Lower Murray Wetlands	Completed
Hattah Lakes	Completed
Mulcra Island	Completed
Mallee Wetlands	Completed

Murray Valley River Flows and the Coorong

Status: This action is in progress.

About the watering

River Murray at Mildura, October 2014

Over 679,000 ML of Commonwealth environmental water was provided directly to the South Australian Murray (including over 284,000 ML of return flows from upstream Commonwealth environmental watering events in the Goulburn-Broken catchment, Campaspe River and Hattah Lakes). The purpose of the watering was to contribute to the following environmental outcomes:

maintaining water quality within the River Murray valley by contributing to the transport and export of salt and nutrients
supporting flows into the Lower Lakes, across the barrages into the Coorong for protecting and ensuring capacity for recovery in the Coorong, and contributing to flows through the Murray Mouth
providing benefits for floodplain and wetland native plants communities, native fish and waterbird populations

Coorong at Parnka Point, April 2013

Additionally, Commonwealth environmental water supported the manipulation of weir pool water levels at Locks 8 and 9 to provide wetlands permanently connected to weir pools with more natural patterns of inundation and drying sequences, assist in inundating creeks and anabranches that normally receive water only during higher flow conditions (such as Mulcra Island) and provide hydraulic variability within the river channel.

These watering actions were managed in cooperation with the New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage, New South Wales Office of Water, Victorian Environmental Water Holder, Mallee Catchment Management Authority, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, SA Water and the South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources.

Lower Murray Wetlands

Status: This action is complete.

About the watering

As part of an ongoing partnership, the Nature Foundation South Australia delivered over 1,100 ML of Commonwealth environmental water to a number of wetlands along the Lower Murray floodplain and adjoining the Lower Lakes in 2014-15.

Commonwealth environmental water was made available for delivery to a number of wetlands as part of ongoing restoration projects that commenced in 2013-14, including Johnson’s Waterhole, Clark’s Floodplain, Thiele’s Flat, Loxton Riverfront Reserve, Ramco Lagoon and Rilli Reach. Additional wetlands included in the 2014-15 watering program include Calperum Station, the Pike-Mundic Floodplain and the South Teringie Wetland, which are located on or adjacent to the Riverland and Coorong, Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert Ramsar sites. The watering events were implemented with the assistance of the Raukkan Community Council, the Ngarrandjeri community, the Australian Landscape Trust, the Pike River Land Management Group, private landholders, Local Action Plan Committees, local councils and the South Australian Department of the Environment, Water and Natural Resources. The purpose of the watering was to contribute to environmental outcomes such as supporting the condition of floodplain trees, understorey vegetation and submerged plant communities and to provide habitat for bird and frog species.

Over 6,800 ML of Commonwealth environmental water was delivered to eleven Lower Murray wetland sites through a partnership with Natural Resources South Australian Murray-Darling Basin including Berri Evaporation Basin, Overland Corner, Piggy Creek, Weila Basin, Whirlpool Corner, Carpark Lagoon and Markaranka South, Markaranka East, Nikalapko, Molo Flats, Wigley Reach and Akuna Station. These events were undertaken in partnership with landholders, wetland groups, Local Action Planning Groups, traditional owners and the River Murray Advisory Committee.

This activity sought to contribute to maintaining waterbird habitat, including refuge sites and food sources, to support waterbird populations across the Murray–Darling Basin. Meanwhile, connectivity in the River Murray system will seek to improve vegetation (riparian, littoral and aquatic e.g. Ruppia tuberosa) and native fish populations, with a particular focus on the nationally endangered Murray Hardyhead.

Ecological response to environmental watering at the Lower Murray wetlands is promising, with monitoring detecting increased activity for a range of frog and waterbird species and vegetative response, such as fresh tip growth and flowering. Monitoring by Natural Resources South Australian Murray-Darling Basin in February 2015 identified high abundances of Murray Hardyhead in Dishers Creek and Berri disposal basin. The increased population size was likely a response to conservation efforts by the Natural Resources South Australian Murray-Darling Basin, including delivery of Commonwealth environmental water. This presented an ideal opportunity to translocate a sub-population of Murray hardyhead from the Riverland sites to Brickworks Billabong in the Mallee Wetlands area of Victoria, where restoration efforts also include the delivery of Commonwealth environmental water.

A number of fact sheets and other media related to watering events managed by Nature Foundation South Australia is available on the Nature Foundation website.

Multi-year monitoring summaries for a number of wetlands are available from Natural Resources South Australian Murray-Darling Basin: Monitoring South Australian River Murray wetlands and floodplains

Johnsons Waterhole, November 2014

Hattah Lakes

Status: This action is complete.

About the watering

Over 34,000 ML of Commonwealth environmental water was delivered to Hattah Lakes during 2014-15. Commonwealth environmental water was used in conjunction with environmental water held by the Victorian Environmental Water Holder and by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority as part of The Living Murray initiative. Return flows from the use of Commonwealth water in Hattah Lakes also contributed to outcomes within the South Australian River Murray channel, Lower Lakes and Coorong.

The watering action involved delivering environmental water to the Hattah Lakes Icon Site, including Lake Kramen, to simulate a large flood event, and aimed to support improved condition and recruitment of black box vegetation within Hattah Lakes and the surrounding floodplain. Some areas of black box woodland targeted by this watering action have not experienced inundation in over 20 years. The watering action was also expected to support improvement in the diversity and condition of frogs, fish, turtles and waterbird populations through maintaining suitable aquatic habitat. The lakes and creek lines of the Hattah Lakes icon site provide important habitat for more than 47 waterbird species listed under international and national agreements, including the Ramsar and Bonn conventions, the Japan–Australia, China–Australia, and Republic of Korea–Australia migratory bird agreements.

The delivery of environmental water into Hattah Lakes was managed by the Mallee Catchment Management Authority and Goulburn-Murray Water, in cooperation with the Victorian Environmental Water Holder and the Murray Darling Basin Authority.

Environmental water providing benefits for floodplain and wetland native plant communities, native fish and waterbird populations at Hattah Lakes, October 2014.

Mulcra Island

Status: This action is complete.

About the watering

Mulcra Island, December 2014

This action was undertaken in conjunction with the Lock 8 and Lock 9 weir pool manipulation on the River Murray, being managed by NSW Office of Water and MDBA River Murray Operations. The operation of floodplain infrastructure and surcharging River Murray Lock 8 allowed for floodplain inundation, targeting higher elevation lignum vegetation communities. A total of around 3,760 ML of Commonwealth environmental water was delivered, in conjunction with environmental water made available by the Victorian Environmental Water Holder (VEWH).

Commonwealth environmental water is expected to contribute to improving the condition of native riverine and wetland vegetation on the floodplains of Mulcra Island. The action will also provide benefits for native fish populations.

Environmental water was coordinated with the delivery of environmental water from upstream watering actions, where possible, and the complementary management of river infrastructure. The delivery of environmental water into the Mulcra site is managed by the Mallee Catchment Management Authority and Goulburn-Murray Water, in cooperation with the Victorian Environmental Water Holder and the Murray Darling Basin Authority.

Mallee Wetlands

Status: This action is complete.

About the watering

The Woorlong Psyche Bend Wetland complex, being watered as part of a long-term rehabilitation project with the Mallee Catchment Management Authority.

Up to 27,000 ML of Commonwealth environmental water has been made available to support the watering program to selected Mallee wetlands over a three-year period (2013-14 to 2015-16), which is being delivered in conjunction with water made available by the Victorian Environmental Water Holder. This three year environmental watering program is part of long-term rehabilitation that is expected to:

Improve condition and maintenance of native floodplain and wetland vegetation;
Improve diversity and condition of frog and waterbird populations through maintenance of suitable aquatic habitat; and
Manage transport and export of salt from the River Murray system to the Southern Ocean.

The watering program aims to support the long term recovery of the endangered Murray hardyhead fish, a unique freshwater fish that flourishes in moderately saline waters. An environmental watering program has been undertaken at two wetlands in the Mallee region, Cardross Lakes and Lake Koorlong, for over ten years to maintain stable Murray hardyhead populations. The floodplain wetlands are ecologically important as they contain remnants of the River Murray floodplain natural character and attributes. The long-term aim of the rehabilitation program at these wetlands is to provide appropriate habitat to support translocated populations of Murray hardyhead. Translocation has started at Brickworks Billabong, in an attempt to establish self-sustaining populations and build further resilience of this species in the region.

The delivery of over 2,000 ML of Commonwealth environmental water during 2014-15 into the Mallee sites is managed by the Mallee Catchment Management Authority and Goulburn-Murray Water, in cooperation with the Victorian Environmental Water Holder and the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.

2013-14

Environmental watering in the catchment in 2013-14
Watering action (all actions have been completed)	Amount of water delivered (ML)
Environmental watering of Hattah Lakes within the lower River Murray region in 2014	4 633
Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth (within Lower River Murray region)	158 983
Lower Murray (Rilli Reach and Ramco River Terrace 2013-14 to 2015-16)	40
Lower Murray (Clark's Floodplain, Thiele's Flat and Loxton Riverfront Reserve 2013-14 to 2015-16)	71
Murray River Valley including Gunbower Creek	244 250
Edward-Wakool Rivers, Colligen, Yallakool, Tuppal, Gwynnes, Jimaringle and Cockran Creeks	16 815
Lower Murray (Murray River at the Locks 8 and 9 weir pools)	216
Lower Murray Wetlands (South Australia)	1 019
Johnsons Waterhole, Lower Murray (South Australia)	104
Mallee Wetlands	2 652
Total in 2013-14	428 783

Environmental watering of Hattah Lakes within the lower River Murray region in 2014

Status

30 June 2014: This action is complete.

About the watering

Hattah Lakes – Arial View

Up to 50,000 ML of Commonwealth environmental water was committed for use across the 2013-14 and 2014-15 water years. A total of 4,633.1 ML of Commonwealth environmental water was delivered in Hattah Lakes during 2013-14, with additional volumes to be delivered in 2014-15. Commonwealth environmental water was used in conjunction with environmental water held by the Victorian Environmental Water Holder and by the Murray Darling Basin Authority as part of the Living Murray initiative.

This watering action aimed to support improved condition and recruitment of black box vegetation within Hattah Lakes and the surrounding floodplain. Some areas of black box woodland being targeted by this watering action have not experienced inundation in over 20 years. The watering action was also expected to support improvement in the diversity and condition of frog, fish and waterbird populations through maintaining suitable aquatic habitat.

The delivery of environmental water into Hattah Lakes is managed by the Mallee Catchment Management Authority and Goulburn-Murray Water, in cooperation with the Victorian Environmental Water Holder and the Murray Darling Basin Authority. As additional environmental water delivery will continue into 2014-15, the reporting of outcomes will be included in the status update in 2014-15.

Environmental watering of Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth within Lower River Murray region in 2013-14

Status

30 June 2014: This action is complete.

The environmental condition within the Coorong and Lower Lakes has shown significant signs of recovery during 2013-14. To support this positive trend, up to 100 GL of additional Commonwealth environmental water has been made available during March to June 2014 for the overarching purpose of maintaining and improving the site's ecological health and resilience. This volume of water is being provided in addition to 433 GL of Commonwealth environmental water that is already being delivered into the lower River Murray this year.

Commonwealth environmental water will contribute to increased barrage flows between March and June 2014 to support improvements in water quality in the River Murray channel, aquatic vegetation, macroinvertebrates, waterbird and fish habitat within the Coorong and Lower lakes, and contribute to flows to support an open Murray Mouth. In particular, the delivery of additional environmental water is expected to support on-going improvement in the condition and extent of the aquatic herb known as Ruppia tuberose which provides critical habitat for fish and invertebrate species in the Coorong Southern Lagoon.

This watering action will be managed in collaboration with the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources South Australia, SA Water and the Murray Darling Basin Authority.

Environmental watering of Rilli Reach and Ramco River Terrace during 2013-14 to 2015-16

Status

30 June 2014: This action is complete.

The Commonwealth Environmental Water Office is working with the Nature Foundation South Australia to achieve environmental outcomes in wetlands at Rilli Reach and Ramco River Terrace in the lower River Murray, South Australia.

Commonwealth environmental water has been made available for use by the Nature Foundation South Australia between December 2013 and June 2016 at multiple sites along the South Australian River Murray. The use of environmental water will help to contribute towards improving native vegetation condition, reducing the local impacts of salinity and supporting waterbirds and frogs that rely on the region’s wetlands for reproduction and survival. Up to 80 ML is planned for delivery to wetlands in 2013-14.

This watering action will be managed by Nature Foundation South Australia in collaboration with local landholders, Loxton Waikerie District Council, Loxton Bookpurnong Local Action Planning Group, SA Water and the South Australian Government’s Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources.

Environmental watering of Clark’s Floodplain, Thiele’s Flat and Loxton Riverfront Reserve during 2013-14 to 2015-16

Status

30 June 2014: This action is complete.

The Commonwealth Environmental Water Office is working with the Nature Foundation South Australia to achieve environmental outcomes in wetlands along the River Murray in South Australia.

Up to 775 ML of Commonwealth environmental water has been made available for use by the Nature Foundation South Australia between October 2013 and June 2016. The use of environmental water will help to contribute towards improving native vegetation condition, reducing the local impacts of salinity and supporting waterbirds and frogs that rely on the region’s wetlands for reproduction and survival. Up to 250 ML is planned for delivering to wetlands in 2013-14.

This watering action will be managed by Nature Foundation South Australia in collaboration with local landholders, Bookpurnong-Lock 4 Environmental Association, Loxton Waikerie District Council, Loxton Bookpurnong Local Action Planning Group, SA Water and the South Australian Government’s Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources.

Locks 8 and 9 weir pools

Status

30 June 2014: This action is complete.

About the watering

Up to 4000 ML of Commonwealth environmental water has been made available to manipulate the weir pools of Lock/Weir 8 and 9 in the Murray River during July and December 2013.

Weir pool manipulation will increase the variability of in-stream baseflows and freshes, and is expected to contribute to:

supporting ecosystem recovery by improving the diversity, condition and extent of native vegetation
providing habitat for native fish, waterbirds and frogs
supporting organic matter processing and biofilm production.

This watering action has been developed in consultation with a range of key stakeholders, including the NSW Office of Water, the Murray Darling Basin Authority, and NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. It provides a key step in developing alternative and innovative ways to use existing infrastructure to maximise environmental outcomes. This action will be important for promoting weir pool manipulation elsewhere in the Murray River system. It is hoped the use of weir pool manipulation to achieve ecological outcomes will become a routine part of weir pool operations in the future.

Johnson’s Waterhole in the lower River Murray, South Australia

Status

30 June 2014: This action is complete.

About the watering

Up to 500 ML of Commonwealth environmental water has been made available to provide flows to Johnson’s Waterhole between August 2013 and June 2016. This watering action will contribute to the following expected outcomes:

increase the extent and condition of understory native plants and river red gums through improved soil quality (reduced soil salinity) and soil moisture
provide habitat that is suitable for supporting increased abundance and diversity of waterbirds within the Ral Ral floodplain.

This watering action will be managed by the Nature Foundation South Australia in cooperation with Renmark-Paringa Council and Renmark Irrigation Trust.

Lower River Murray Wetlands, South Australia

Status

30 June 2014: This action is complete.

About the watering

The Commonwealth Environmental Water Office is working with the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board to implement watering of five wetlands along the South Australian River Murray: Weila Shedding, Carpark Lagoons, Morgan Conservation Park, Hogwash Bend and Maize Island. These watering actions will complement other natural resource management activities to support the rehabilitation of floodplain wetlands.

Up to 1,019ML of Commonwealth environmental water has been made available in 2013-14. These watering actions will contribute to the following expected outcomes:

maintain and improve the condition, diversity and extent of floodplain and wetland native plants
improve the diversity and condition of native fish, frog and waterbird populations through maintaining suitable aquatic habitat and providing opportunities for breeding and recruitment.
improve ecosystem and population resilience through supporting ecological recovery and maintaining aquatic habitat.

These watering actions will be managed by the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources.

Environmental watering of Mallee Wetlands within the lower River Murray region in 2014

Status

30 June 2014: This action is complete.

About the watering

Bullock Swamp

In 2013-14 a total of 2,667 ML of Commonwealth environmental water was delivered to 10 wetlands in the Victorian Mallee: Brickworks Billabong, Bridge Creek, Bullock Swamp, Burra Creek South, Cardross Lake Basin 1, J1 Creek, Karadoc Swamp, Liparoo East, Psyche Lagoon and Woorlong Wetland.

Water from the Murray River is pumped to these sites; J1 Creek and Bullock Swamp receiving environmental water for the first time.

This first year of a three year environmental watering program to selected Mallee wetlands is part of long-term rehabilitation that aimed to:

support the recruitment and improved condition of vegetation, waterbirds, frogs, fish and other biota;
support salt and nutrient export from the River Murray system; and
establish multiple self-sustaining populations of Murray hardyhead within wetland refuges hydrologically interconnected and connected to the River Murray.

The delivery of environmental water into the Mallee sites is managed by the Mallee Catchment Management Authority and Goulburn-Murray Water, in cooperation with the Victorian Environmental Water Holder and the Murray Darling Basin Authority. Additional environmental water delivery will continue into 2014-15 and 2015-16. As this marks the beginning of planned longer-term watering activity and monitoring, the reporting of outcomes will be included in status updates over future years.

Environmental watering in the Lower Darling river 2013-14

Status

31 March 2014: This action is completed.

About the watering

Commonwealth environmental water being released from the Lake Cawndilla regulator. Photo: Richard McLoughlin, Department of the Environment.

Commonwealth environmental water will be used to maintain ecological health and resilience of the Darling Anabranch system. Up to approximately 47 GL of Commonwealth environmental water will contribute to in-channel flows within the Darling Anabranch during spring to reconnect residual pools within the Anabranch, and provide through-flows to the Murray River.

The Darling Anabranch is located in south-western NSW, extending approximately 460 kilometres from its junction with the Darling River south of Menindee, to the Murray River downstream of Wentworth. The channel of the Darling Anabranch is broad, contains many deep holes and is connected to a complex network of channels. The main native plant communities are river red gum, lignum and river cooba in the riparian zone. River red gums occur on areas that receive water more regularly, and are particularly common in the area upstream of the junction with the Murray River.

The watering action will contribute to river flows to achieve the following expected outcomes:

support the dispersal of plants and animals residing in refuge pools along the Great Darling Anabranch, enabling fish, such as Murray cod and golden perch, to disperse, and potentially reconnect with populations in the River Murray
support improved condition of riparian and floodplain native plants, particularly river red gums that line parts of the channel
provide habitat for native birds and other animals such as frogs
enable the transfer of nutrients and energy between the Anabranch and the Murray River, supporting both longitudinal connectivity (i.e. connectivity along a watercourse) and lateral connectivity (i.e. connectivity between the river channel and riparian zones).

This watering action has been made possible by the collaboration of a wide range of stakeholders including the State Water Corporation, NSW Office of Water, NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, local water users and landholders.

2012-13

Environmental watering in the catchment in 2012-13
Watering action (all actions have been completed)	Amount of water delivered (ML)
Note: * indicates that the action was undertaken with the use of return flows.
Clark's floodplain with Nature Foundation SA	60*
Lower Murray River (South Australia)	Disher Creek – 250* Berri Basin – 543* Whirlpool corner – 91* Ramco Lagoon – 1* Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth - 98 853 Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth - 150 000 Lower Lakes, Coorong and Murray Mouth - 237 118*
Murray River valley	300 000
Tuppal creek	2 000
Gunbower creek	2 158*
Jimaringle, Cockran and Gwynnes creeks	3 000
Edward-Wakool river system	28 943
Total in 2012-13	822 792

Environmental Watering with the Nature Foundation South Australia

Clark's floodplain - Commonwealth environmental water delivery. Photo: Nature Foundation SA

In October 2012 the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder entered into a long-term agreement with Nature Foundation SA for the use of up to 10 gigalitres a year of Commonwealth environmental water over the next five years to support wetland and floodplain rehabilitation projects in the lower Murray River. Nature Foundation is the first non-government organisation to enter into an agreement to manage the use of Commonwealth environmental water locally for the benefit of the Basin.

For more information see: Commonwealth works with Nature Foundation South Australia to deliver water - Media release 24 October 2012.

On 18 February 2013 the Nature Foundation SA celebrated the start of watering on Clark's Floodplain - adjacent Lock 4 near Berri, the first Commonwealth environmental watering project under Nature Foundation's Water for Nature initiative.

Up to 100 ML of Commonwealth environmental water was agreed for use on Clark's Floodplain for the purpose of supporting the improved health and recruitment of black box vegetation communities.

For more information:

Media release - Rescue Mission for River Murray Private Wetlands Begins - 15 February 2013
The Nature Foundation SA has produced the video First Commonwealth Environmental Watering for Nature Foundation which refers to this watering event.

South Australia Clark's floodplain – Commonwealth environmental water delivery commencement – flood runner. Photo: Nature Foundation SA

Nature Foundation SA first Commonwealth environmental watering event at Clark's Floodplain – key partners: Bob Lott (Chair Nature Foundation), David Papps (Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder), Steve Clark (land owner) and Jason Size (Chairperson Bookpurnong Lock 4 Environmental Association). Photo: Leo Davis - provided courtesy of Nature Foundation SA

Environmental watering at Whirlpool Corner, Disher Creek, Berri Basin, Lower Murray River channel, Lower Lakes, Coorong and the Murray Estuary

The environmental watering at Whirlpool Corner helped support the recruitment of native plants, including river red gums, and habitat for native frogs and waterbirds such as spoonbills. Environmental watering at Berri Basin and Disher Creek contributed to the recovery of Murray hardyhead, a threatened native fish.

The environmental water also contributed to improving the health of the Lower Murray River channel by increasing the transport of nutrients and salt from the river system and mitigating potential environmental impacts of acid drainage from the Lower Murray Swamps. It also contributed to achieving water level and salinity targets in Lakes Alexandrina and Albert (Lower Lakes), achieving salinity and seasonal water level targets in the Coorong, and supporting the establishment of wetland native plants, waterbird habitat, and the recruitment of native fish and frogs.

The Commonwealth made available:

a further 98,853 ML in the lower Murray River, Lower Lakes and Coorong during 2012-13
up to 1,400 ML of environmental water to the Disher Creek and Berri Basin, and
up to 500 ML of environmental water for pumping into Whirlpool Corner.

The environmental water used at Whirlpool Corner, Disher Creek and Berri Basin was provided from flows returning to the river system from watering actions originally delivered in Victoria.

This watering action was made possible by the collaboration of the Department of Environmental, Water and Natural Resources, South Australia, SA Water and the South Australia Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management Board.

2011-12

Environmental watering in the catchment in 2011-12
Watering action (all actions have been completed)	Amount of water delivered (ML)
Colligen Creek (Edward-Wakool river system)	5 500
Wakool River and Colligen Creek (Edward-Wakool river system)	7 500
Edward-Wakool river system (fish refuge habitat flows)	39 445
Jimaringle-Cockran Creek (Edward-Wakool river system)	3 000
Mid-Murray River system (fish refuge habitat and replenishment flows)	92 093
Lower Murray River (South Australia)	69 300
Lower Murray River (South Australia)	126 600
Total in 2011-12	343 438

Environmental watering in the Lower Murray River (South Australia)

During 2011-12, a total of 329 gigalitres of Commonwealth environmental water was delivered to the lower Murray River in South Australia contributing to enhanced river flows and additional inflows to the Lower Lakes and Coorong. This volume includes water that was delivered from the Goulburn River and lower Broken Creek to achieve multiple benefits across the southern connected basin.

Environmental water was delivered between January and February to manage the recession from high natural flows during late December/early January and ensure that river levels decreased gradually. This enabled a more natural flow pattern and aimed to support the environment by enhancing spawning opportunities for large-bodied native fish, such as golden perch (Macquaria ambigua). The watering action ceased on 3 February 2012 due to high natural river flows.

From February to June additional environmental water was delivered as part of Entitlement Flow. This enabled additional barrage releases for inflows into the Coorong. This action supported the flushing of salt and nutrients from the Murray-Darling river system and helped to manage salinity levels in the Lower Lakes and Coorong.

Throughout 2011-12 environmental water released to meet objectives in upstream catchments also helped to sustain flows in the lower Murray River and provided additional inflows to the Lower Lakes and the Coorong. This included actions in the Murrumbidgee River and mid-Murray region.

The South Australian Research and Development Institute have been monitoring the outcomes from Commonwealth environmental watering in South Australia and the results will be published on our website.

2010-11

Environmental watering in the catchment in 2010-11
Watering action (all actions have been completed)	Amount of water delivered (ML)
Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth	29 183
Coombool Swamp	506
Lake Walla-walla	7 850
Kulkurna	57
Jimaringle and Cockran Creeks	1 100
Wakool River and Yallakool Creek	18 667
Hattah Lakes	9 342
Katarapko Floodplain-Carpark Lagoons	154
Total in 2010-11	66 859

2009-10

Environmental watering in the catchment in 2009-10
Watering action (all actions have been completed)	Amount of water delivered (ML)
Lake Wallawalla, near Mildura, Vic	4 140
Hattah Lakes, near Mildura, Vic	7 060
Werai State Forest, near Deniliquin, NSW	4 500
Top-up flows for nine wetlands along the lower NSW Murray (Andruco Lagoon, Boeill Floodplain, Brechin, Cliffhouse 1 and 2, Grand Junction, Kennaugh, Nampoo, Wee Wee Creek)	1 750
Millewa State Forest, near Deniliquin, NSW	1 500
Chowilla Floodplain, near Renmark, SA & NSW	7 230
Lake Albert, at the Murray Mouth, SA	20 000
Morgan Conservation Park, near Morgan, SA	320
Molo Flat, near Waikerie, SA	330
Wigley Reach, near Renmark, SA	250
Paiwalla Wetland, near Murray Bridge, SA	240
Weila, near Renmark, SA	220
Overland Corner Complex, near Kingston-on-Murray, SA	200
Katarapko Creek Wetlands, near Berri, SA	20
Total in 2009-10	47 760

2008-09

Environmental watering in the catchment in 2008-09
Watering action (all actions have been completed	Amount of water delivered (ML)
Chowilla Floodplains (SA) (Near Renmark, SA)	1 780
Carpark Lagoons, Katarapko (SA) (Near Berri, SA)	200
Paiwalla Wetland (SA) (Between Mannum and Murray Bridge, SA)	600
Rocky Gully (SA) (Near Murray Bridge, SA)	80
Markaranka Wetland Complex (SA) (Near Waikerie, SA)	2 230
Overland Corner Floodplain (SA) (Near Kingston-on-Murray, SA)	500
Murbpook Lagoon (SA) (Near Blanchetown, SA)	1 400
Lindsay Island (VIC) (On VIC/SA Border)	1 000
Hattah Lakes (VIC) (North-Western Victoria near Robinvale)	2 120
Backwater Lagoon (NSW) (In Wangumma State Forest, west of Wentworth, NSW)	1 000
Total in 2008-09	10 910

Queensland and NSW floods 2022

History - Lower Murray-Darling

Environmental watering in the Lower Murray-Darling Catchment in previous years

River Murray flows

About the watering

Lower Murray and end of system flows

About the watering

Lower Darling/Baaka flows

Great Darling Anabranch

About the watering

Hattah Lakes

About the watering

NSW Lower Murray Wetlands

About the watering

Weir Pool Manipulation and SA floodplains

About the watering

South Australian Wetlands

About the watering

River Murray flows

About the watering

Lower Darling/Baaka flows

Wingillie Station

About the watering

Weir Pool Manipulation and SA floodplains

About the watering

South Australian Wetlands

About the watering

River Murray flows

About the watering

What did the flow achieve?

Weir Pool Manipulation

About the watering

Wingillie Station

About the watering

South Australian Wetlands

About the watering

Lower Darling flows

River Murray flows

About the watering

Weir Pool Manipulation

About the watering

Wingillie Station

About the watering

South Australian Wetlands

About the watering

Lower Darling flows

River Murray flows

About the watering

Lower Darling River

About the watering

Hattah Lakes

About the watering

Wingillie Station and Lucerne Day

About the watering

South Australian Wetlands

About the watering

Banrock Station

About the watering

Renmark Irrigation Trust

About the watering

South Australian Weir Pool Manipulation

About the watering

River Murray flows

About the watering

Lower Darling River and Great Darling Anabranch flows

About the watering

Lower Darling River

Great Darling Anabranch

Lower Murray Wetlands

About the watering

Coorong Flows

About the watering

River Murray Valley Flows

About the watering

Carrs and Capitts Creek and Backwater Lagoon

About the watering

Weir Pool Manipulation: Locks 2, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 15

About the watering

Mallee Wetlands

About the watering